Topping bar



May 31, 1938..

- R. F. MEIER '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 27, 1934 v May 31, 1938.MEIER 2,119,236

TOPPING BAR Filed June 27, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I/II/l'Il/I/I);vlllllllllilllllrlllg v 4 INVENTO R RICHARD E MEIER PatentedMay'3l, 193$ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE TOPPING BAR Richard F. Meier,Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 2'7, 1934, Serial No. 732,561

3 Claims. (Cl. 66-96) My invention relates to knitting full-fashionedhosiery, and relates particularly to the topping mechanism to beutilized upon a single-unit machine for knitting full-fashioned hosiery.

Two machines have been used for knitting a complete full-fashionedstocking. However, in my Patent No. 1,912,005, granted June 5, 1933, Ihave disclosed a method and mechanism for knitting a completefull-fashioned stocking upon a single machine. The single-unit machineemploys a topping mechanism comprising a front ba r together with aplurality of side or wing bars, all of the bars have transferringneedles therein.

My instant invention relates to an improvement in the structural detailsof the topping bars, so that the loops on the instep of the stockingfabric are correctly and accurately transferred 'to the knitting needlesof the flat knitting machine.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device wherein the transferneedles are accurately and easily installed. a

A further object is to provide a side topping bar having a guide foreach of the transfer needles, and means to prevent the slipping of thetransfer needles.

With the above and related objects in view, my invention consists in thefollowing details of construction and combination of parts, ashereinafter will be fully described when the description is read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 1

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the central bar and the side toppingbars.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the side topping barand front topping bar.

Fig. 3' is a top plan view of the side bar.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2. p

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of one of the needles.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-45 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view of my invention embodied upon a fiatmachine.

Fig. 8 isa fragmentary view of a curved topping needle.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 is shown a toppingmechanism comprising a central topping bar, generally designated as A,and

a plurality of side bars or side wings, generally designated as B, BI.One side bar is pivotally mounted adjacent each end of the centraltopping bar A, hence two sidebars B, Bl essentially are employed. Thecentral bar A is comprised of an elongated bar 10 of wood, metal, orcomposite material, such as a phenolic condensation product, having arelatively thin downwardly extending tongue [2 wherein one side wall I4is substantially parallel to the vertically extending designated as M,rigidly within their cooperative or complementary grooves.

Upon the top surface of the bar it are a plurality ofserrations 25having the center of each crest or valley spaced a unit distance apartfrom its adjoining crest or valley; and the unit dis tance mentioned isequal to the distance between adjoining knitting needles on the needlebar of the hat knitting machine. The serrations 25 may be, however, agreater or less multiple of the aforesaid unit distance apart. Theaforementioned serrations 25 enable the bracket 32 to be moved either tothe left or to the right as Fig. 2 is viewed in order to align theneedles in the side bar B with the needles in the center bar. The sidebar Bl can be likewise adjusted in a lateral direction. 1

A horizontally extending tapped hole, through a Walt 26, and adjacenteach end and the upper portion of the bar it coincides with a hole in abar support 2%, and a bolt 39 is fitted into the holes in. order torigidly secure the bar it and the bar support 28 together.

Mounted upon the upper surface of the central bar A adjacent one endthereof is a bracket, generally designated as 32. A second bracket 3similar in detail of. construction to the bracket 32, is mounted uponthe other end of the central bar A. The bracket 32 has a. plurality ofcorrugations on its lower flange surface which are adapted to interlockwith their complemental corrugations on the top of the central bar lil.Centrally extending through the flange portion of the bracket is alongitudinally extending slot through which a holding bolt 36 passesinto a threaded bolt hole in the central bar It]. The bolt 3t holds thebracket securely to the bar H].

The bracket 32 is adapted to be adjustably mounted on the bar support,by virtue of the slot in the wing, the adjustment is essential in orderto provide a means for knitting stockings of different sizes.

A body portion 38 of the bracket 32 has an annular bearing 49 whosebearing surface is vertically extending. The bearing fill extends awayfrom one side of. the body portion 38 of the bracket in order that theside bar may oscillate freely by not engaging the body portion, ashereinafter shall be further described.

A vertically extending journal or pintle Al is mounted on the top of theside bar 13, adjacent the vertical side which is closest to the centraltopping bar A. The journal bearing provides the pivot about which theside bar oscillates after it is inserted in the bearing 4|] of thebracket 32.

The bar 20 retains transfer points, each of which is generally The sidebar B is comprised of a rectangular block of wood, metal, or compositematerial made up of two sections 42 and 44. In Fig. 3 I show thesections 42 and 44 dovetailed together.

A plurality of vertically extending grooves 46 are in the section 42,and a plurality of grooves 48, complemental to the grooves 46, are inthe section 44.

The grooves 48 in side wing section 44 are not continuous as they arebroken by a large rectangular slot. Horizontally extending parallelwalls 52 and 54, see Figs. 1 and 2, define the top and bottom,respectively, of the rectangular opening 59 in the side wing section 44.

Securely mounted between the bottom ledge 54 and the bottom of thesection 44 is an expansion spring 58. The spring 55 is curved in theshape of a spoon 58 at its long extended end, with the curved side 58expanding inwardly towards the longitudinal center of the groove.

Each of the vertically extending grooves, defined by the grooves 46, 48in each of the side bars, provides the guides for each slidable transferpoint or needle, generally designated as 69. The longitudinal distancebetween the center of adjacent grooves, each of which house atransferring or lifting needle, is equal to the distance betweenadjacent knitting needles on the needle bar.

Each transfer needle 60 has a pointed end 62 which is adapted to piercethrough a loop in a stocking blank. The hexagonal needle 60 has parallelside walls 66 and 68 and end faces 10, 12 converging from one edge ofeach side wall, thus, the shanks are adapted to readily slide within thegrooves when a side extension 14 attached to the shank, near the topedge, is moved.

Suitable retaining means, such as screws or bolts 16, in addition to thedovetailed joints, aid

in holding the sections of the side bar B together.

The central bar A is mounted upon the elongated rectangular supportingrod 28 by means of the holding bolts 30. The rectangular bar 28 carri stwo shift bars 18 and 89 on its upper surface. Each of the shift bars18, 89 are connected to each of the side bars by means of two pivotedlinks 82, 84, and 86, 88, respectively. The link 82 is pivoted at oneend 82A to the push bar 18. The other end of the link 82 is pivoted at823 to a bracket or link 84, the latter is attached to the side bar B.Each of the links 82 and 84 have one of their ends pivotally joinedtogether, and the other end of the link 84 is securely attached to themovable side wing B, and the other free end of the link 82 is pivotallyattached, as at 82A, to the shift bar 18. The linkage arrangement 82, 84between the oscillatory side wing'B and the translatory movable push bar18 results in force being applied to the rotary side bar B when the pushbar 18 is moved in a rectilinear direction.

'Thus, movement of the shift bar 18 in a translatory direction to theleft causes an oscillatory movement of the side bar B in a clockwisedirection. Movement of the shift bar 99 to the right moves the sidetopping bar Bl counterclockwise. The link 86 is pivoted at 86A, 86B. Theshift bars 18 and 88 are connected to an operating mechanism whereby theshift bars are moved in opposite directions when the single operatingmechanism is actuated. The purpose of the shift bar is to move the sidebar from the same plane as the plane of the middle bar A to a planeperpendicular to the plane of the middle bar, or vice versa.

A plurality of L-shaped brackets 90 hold the shift bars in position onthe rectangular bar 26.

Since the topping mechanism must move in a horizontal plane as well asin a vertical plane, suitable mechanism, as described in my prior PatentNo. 1,920,005, is employed. Such mechanism causes the rod 92 to ascendor descend, and moves the rod 92 forward and backward in a rectilineardirection.

The supporting bar 28 is mounted on a grooved bracket support 94 whichis attached to the horizontally and vertically movable bar 92.

Each transfer needle 24, for use in the central or front topping bar A,may have a pointed, slightly curved lifting point or a straight point.Extending from the needle body is a bend 95, an offset 96 from the bend,and an inturned end 98 which enables the needle to rest securely withinthe grooves of the front bar.

In my Patent No. 1,912,005, I have shown a loop designated as X whichhas no needle therethrough. The purpose of omitting the needle from theloop X is to insure coincidence of the loop Y with the loop X when theheel portions are placed in the positions shown in Patent No. 1,912,005.These two loops are placed on the same needle so that the heel at suchpoint will be strengthened. If a needle were placed in loop X when theheel is knitted, a hole would result after the foot of the stocking iscompleted.

Thereforc, it is to be remembered that the end transfer needle in. thecentral topping bar and the adjoining needle in the side topping barmust be spaced so that two loops will be placed upon one needle, thisspace is twice the distance of the space which is between adjoiningneedles.

It is to be remembered that the side topping bar BI and its supportingbracket 34 is complementary in arrangement and construction with respectto the side topping bar B and its supporting bracket 32, except that oneis for the right hand side and the other is for the left hand side. Thecomplete topping bar unit is adapted to be placed over the knittingneedles of the flat knitting machine.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, suchdescription is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as theinvention may be variously embodied. My invention, therefore, is not tobe restricted except as far as it is made necessary by the prior art andby the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A topping bar comprising a bar and a plurality of slidable needlestherein, grooves in said bar to guide the needles, a spring engagingeach of the slidable needles, and means on each of said needles forlimiting its movement.

2. A topping bar comprising a plurality of side bars and a front bar,each of said side bars having a plurality of grooves, a topping needleinserted in each of said grooves, means on. each needle to limit themovement of the needle, a plurality of needles fixed in position in saidfront bar, and

curved points on the fixed needles.

3. A side topping bar comprising two sections rigidly secured together,a plurality of slots in each section, the slots in one section beingcomplementary to the slots in the second section whereby grooves aredefined for slidable needles, and a resilient expanding spring extendinginto each groove.

RICHARD F. MEIER.

